1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to auto-cutters for roll paper printers and, more particularly, to an auto-cutter which automatically cuts a receipt, a barcode or a label which is printed and output by a roll paper printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, roll paper printers use roll paper as printing paper. As representative examples of the roll paper printers, there are a receipt printer which prints and outputs transactions between a consumer and a seller, a barcode printer which prints a barcode on paper and outputs it, and a label printer which prints a label on paper and outputs it. Typically, such a roll paper printer includes an auto-cutter which automatically cuts a printed section off from roll paper into a desired size.
In detail, the auto-cutter is installed in the roll paper printer and automatically cuts an output section off from roll paper. The section of the roll paper that is cut by the auto-cutter is used for the purpose of a receipt, a barcode, a label, etc.
To manufacture the auto-cutter, several critical techniques are used to form a paper cutter structure which implements a basic function of a cutter mechanism, a full and partial cut structure and a cutter jam prevention and removal structure. Furthermore, the auto-cutter has therein a motor to conduct the basic function of the cutter mechanism.
In the conventional techniques, a DC motor is typically used as the motor of the auto-cutter to implement the basic function of the cutter mechanism.
However, to fully or partially cut roll paper in such a way as to change the direction of rotation, the DC motor requires a separate device which is installed in the auto-cutter and varies an advancement distance (a stroke distance) of a cutting blade. Thus, the internal construction of the auto-cutter is complex.
Moreover, because the DC motor rotates in only one direction, a jam in which the roll paper is tangled with the cutting blade and is thus not output may occur in the process of cutting a section of the roll paper off. In particular, in the case of the auto-cutter using the DC motor, it is very difficult to remove the jam because of the structural characteristics of unidirectional rotation, thus reducing convenience of use of the auto-cutter and the reliability of the operation thereof.